The 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey has a pale golden color, a lingering silkiness on the palate, and is pure Irish magic.

Visiting the distilleries in Ireland in September 2007, I learned that Irish whiskey distinguishes itself in many ways from Scotch whisky, which is double distilled, and from American whiskey, single distillation, by being triple distilled, and unlike Scotch whisky does not use peat to dry the hops, and thus has no smoky elements. However, Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey further distinguishes itself by being one of the few single malt Irish whiskeys, as most whiskeys in Ireland are made from a blend.

Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey is named for the Mark Edwin Andrews family castle in Ireland, and pouring the vintage 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey in a tasting glass, the first thing that I noticed was the pale golden color. Triple distilled in 1995 in small batches in copper pot stills, aged in bourbon casks without any color added, and bottled in 2007, the 1995 Knappoque Castle Irish Whiskey, 40% ABV, which bears the signature of Mark Andrews, is all about Celtic pride.

Nosing the glass, I noted floral, honey, vanilla, malt, and even morning dew on the heady nose. Adding a drop of water and tasting a sip, the 1995 Knappoque Castle Irish Whiskey came across as elegant with fresh wood, cigar box, with a lingering, warm, slightly sweet and spicy, yet silky finish on the palate. It is a delicious whiskey to sip with friends over great conversation, or as they say in Ireland, over great "craic."

Although perfect neat or with ice, the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey also leant itself to many cocktail and culinary recipes. Why not begin the evening with a Sophisticated Lady, followed by Crème de la Knappogue Ice Cream with Drunken Apples and Cranberry Bread Pudding and Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Hard Sauce for dessert, and end the evening with The Dubliner.

Luxury Experience Magazine's Sophisticated Lady

The inspiration for the Sophisticated Lady was the abundance of fig trees growing in Ireland. The subtle flavor of the Crème de Figue combines beautifully with the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, and with sprays of Extra Dry Vermouth, is an elegant martini.

Shake the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey and Crème de Figue hard in a metal shaker can with 4 ice cubes until the can is frosty. Drain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a small fresh fig.

Luxury Experience Magazine's Crème de la Knoppogue Ice Cream with Drunken Apples and Cranberry Bread Pudding and 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Hard Sauce

Edward F. Nesta is Luxury Experience Magazine's master ice cream maker, and he created this rich ice cream with the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, which he calls Crème de la Knappogue. Paired with the Drunken Apples and Cranberry Bread Pudding and 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Hard Sauce, it is lovely autumn dessert.

Crème de la Knappogue Ice Cream Ingredients:

Method: Beat eggs and milk together in a large saucepan. Add sugar. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened, just to a slight boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a large bowl to cool. When cool, add the heavy cream, stir and refrigerate, covered, overnight. (Will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.) Process in an ice cream maker, when the mixture starts to freeze, add the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey and the Fee Brothers Whiskey Barrel Aged Bitters, stir, and process until set.

Drunken Apples and Cranberry Bread Pudding and 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Hard Sauce
Serves 6  

Bread Pudding Ingredients:

Preheat over to 325° F (163° C).

Method: Cut bread into cubes and set aside. Scald milk. Add bread and butter to the milk, stir, and let mixture cool. Drizzle the 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey over the apples and set aside. When the bread and milk mixture is cool, add the eggs, sugar, and spices, followed by the apples and cranberries.

Pour mixture into a buttered 11"x7"x2" (28x18x4 cm) baking dish. Bake for approximately 1 hour until set. Knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Serve warm.

1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Hard Sauce Ingredients:

Method: Cream butter and sugar until smooth.

Method: Blend until smooth. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature or heat slightly to drizzle over the pudding.

Presentation: Cut a square of bread pudding and place in a coupe or dessert bowl. Add a scoop of the ice cream. Drizzle the hard sauce over the ice cream and scatter the toasted walnuts over the dessert.

Luxury Experience Magazine's The Dubliner

What surprised me most in Ireland was how much the Irish like their coffee, which was the inspiration for The Dubliner cocktail.

Shake all ingredients hard in a metal shaker can with 6 ice cubes until the can is frosty. Drain into a 10-ounce snifter glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

However you opt to enjoy your 1995 Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey, realize that this is a vintage whiskey, so savor every sip of this very special year!

Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey is imported by Castle Brands, Inc. in New York.

Castle Brands, Inc.
570 Lexington Avenue, 29^th Floor
New York, NY 10022
Telephone:      1-800-882-8140  
www.CastleBrandsInc.com  
www.KnappogueWhiskey.com  

Please read other articles on Ireland in the Destination, Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Spas, Liquor Cabinet: Celtic Crossing Liqueur, Boru Vodka, Fashion, and Adventures sections.

For information on Ireland, please visit the website: Discover Ireland, www.discoverIreland.com or call them at +1-800-223-6470. For driving directions in Ireland, visit www.aaireland.com.

For information on Aer Lingus, please visit the website: Aer Lingus, www.AerLingus.com.

© October 2007. Luxury Experience. www.LuxuryExperience.com All rights reserved.